Book 5: Volume 4 Chapter 4, Meeting with the King

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

 

Kousuke’s proposal had caught all three of them off guard. Even so, the objections, if there were any, did not last long.

 

His reasoning was straightforward, at least on the surface. He had no intention of positioning himself as a Living God. He only wanted to be present, to be useful where he could without getting in anyone’s way.

 

There was something else he had not mentioned aloud.

 

When he had spoken with Gizelle, something had settled uneasily in the back of his mind. It was a feeling without a clear shape, the kind he had learned not to ignore. Ideally, he would have sent Mitsuki to support Peach. But there was no reason for he could give that would not invite more questions.

 

Even Kousuke knew better than to assign Mitsuki based on a feeling.

 

Those around him valued those instincts, perhaps even more than he did. But there was a different concern weighing on him alongside it. It was the thought of Mitsuki operating independently for an extended period of time, with no one nearby who could pull her back if she decided, for reasons relating to Kousuke, to act on her own judgment. That was its own level of unsettling.

 

Going with them himself would resolve both things at once.

 

And honestly, he was simply curious about what the Succubus did when they worked.

 

Those were the reasons behind his decision. As for why Gizelle and the others had accepted it so readily… that had its own answer.

 

The situation on the Smith Kingdom’s Royalty was, to put it plainly, not good.

 

Even if the Tower’s Succubus and the country’s other underground organizations combined their efforts, it was genuinely uncertain whether they could manage parity with the new guild. Each dark guild was rooted in its own town and could not easily send people elsewhere. Even a temporary alliance would be stretched thin, valuable mostly for pooling information across regions.

 

In that light, Kousuke joining them, which in practice meant Kouhi and Mitsuki joining them, was less an unusual offer and more an unexpected relief.

 

Still, even if Kousuke was careful to keep his identity as a Living God out of view, he could not simply step into their operation without the other side’s leadership knowing he was there. Some level of acknowledgment had to be made.

 

And so, before anything else, Kousuke and his group met with the leader of the Smith Kingdom’s side.

 

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Naturally, the meeting was held in secret, with only a carefully limited number of people present.

 

Given the nature of what they were discussing, it could not have been held in any official setting. Even so, the number in attendance was large for something that needed to remain quiet. The Smith Kingdom side had brought the King, the Crown Prince, several Succubus guards, and their leader, Machie. The Razequa Amamiya side had brought Kousuke, Kouhi, Mitsuki, and several Succubus members including Peach.

 

Security was kept deliberately understaffed so as not to draw the kind of attention that a heavily guarded gathering would invite.

 

The location itself was an underground facility known only to a small number of people. Those who operated in the shadows of the Smith Kingdom. Neither the King nor the Crown Prince had known of this place before today.

 

Kouhi and Mitsuki had almost certainly known the moment they arrived. Kousuke chose not to ask.

 

Of those present on the Smith Kingdom side, only Crown Prince Christoph had ever met Kousuke face to face. It was Christoph, then, who spoke first.

 

“Living God. Thank you for coming all this way.”

 

“Crown Prince Christoph. It has been some time.”

 

“It has. I apologize for the abruptness, but please allow me to introduce you to the King of our country. His Majesty, King Assar.”

 

As Christoph turned toward the King, King Assar met Kousuke’s gaze and spoke with a careful, slightly stiffened composure.

 

“Living God. I am grateful for this first meeting.”

 

The King lowered his head. Kousuke shook his.

 

“King Assar, the person before you today is not a Living God, but an adventurer named Kou. I would ask that you keep that in mind from here on out.”

 

“However…”

 

The King’s expression shifted toward uncertainty. He glanced at his Son, as if searching for guidance, and found Christoph shaking his head in quiet agreement with Kousuke.

 

King Assar swallowed whatever he had been about to say.

 

“I understand that your position as King carries its own constraints,” Kousuke said, his tone unhurried. “But given where we are and why, surely appearances aren’t your concern right now.”

 

“…Understood.”

 

The King’s nod was brief, but it was still a nod. He had recognized that pushing further would backfire here.

 

The space they had gathered in was modest but arranged with care. There was a table, chairs. It was nothing luxurious, nothing worth complaining about. No one present was inclined to complain.

 

Of the group, only King Assar, Crown Prince Christoph, Kousuke, and Peach were seated. Peach was there as a representative of the Tower’s Succubus, which was reason enough for her to be seated.

 

“…To confirm,” King Assar began, more measured now, “Kou is here to assist us, is that correct?”

 

“Yes. Though to be direct about it, I don’t plan to act openly in any of this. At most, I might take a local quest through the Crown’s adventurer system.”

 

The King studied him for a moment. He did not let anything reach his expression, but Kousuke could sense the doubt simmering underneath it.

 

Kousuke had been involved in an incident in the Smith Kingdom before. That had been something he was caught up in rather than something he had chosen. The other party had acted, and he had responded. But this time, he was here by his own initiative. When a Living God chose to involve himself in something, it was natural for a King to wonder what was really behind it.

 

Sensing that gaze, Kousuke met it.

 

“Your caution is understandable. But to be straightforward, I’m of very little use in something like this.”

 

He said it without much modesty. It was simply accurate. Whatever his skills were, whatever the Fairies could do, none of it translated well to the careful, specific work of underground operations. Kouhi and Mitsuki had drilled him in stealth techniques in the early days after he had come to this world, but he harbored no illusions about his ability to use them in a real situation. He had received, in no uncertain terms, strict warnings from Peach, Kouhi, and Mitsuki before he had even agreed to come along.

 

He had no intention of ignoring those warnings.

 

“I should also mention, I have no divine prophecies or foresights to offer you.”

 

He plainly said before any question could be asked.

 

King Assar, who had indeed been building toward precisely that, closed his mouth. A faint furrow appeared between his brows.

 

Kousuke had now been clear on two things: he would not act in the capacity of a God, and he would not use Divine Power to visibly side with the King. He understood what King Assar would want most, to be able to say, however quietly, that God stood with them. That alone could reduce future casualties before a masterful blow was struck on the other party.

 

But that was not something Kousuke was willing to grant. If the King pressed him further on it, he would withdraw and take Peach with him.

 

Whether King Assar read that in his expression, or simply recognized that he had reached the limit of what could reasonably be negotiated, the King was quiet for a moment before nodding.

 

“Understood.” He turned. “Christoph, do you also understand?”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“Good. From here, Christoph will handle this matter and you will act accordingly.”

 

King Assar spoke, then let his gaze rest briefly on Machie before the formality of the moment passed.

 

The meeting between the King and Kousuke had been the heart of it, and with that settled, it did not take long to reach its natural end. After the King and Crown Prince withdrew, the remaining parties moved into the practical discussion, but Kousuke sat through that part without contributing. He understood clearly that he had no useful place in a conversation built on expertise he did not have, and he did not pretend to be an expert as well.

 

Even that discussion amounted to little more than confirming the agreements already reached. It was over quickly.

 

Afterward, Kousuke and his companions set out into the capital to find a merchant guild that dealt in real estate. They needed somewhere to work from, after all.